HomePod HomePod mini can't tell its location anymore

[dotnet]

I used to be able to ask my HomePod minis questions like "Hey Siri, what's the humidity outside?", and it would tell me. Recently, all I've been getting is "I can't tell your location because of your settings". What settings might that be? I've turned every stone in Privacy and Security > Location as well as in the HomePod settings. I can't find anything amiss.

The HomePod minis are running 18.2, but this started earlier, perhaps around 18.0 or 18.1.

Is this broken for anyone else?

 

[Itinj24]

I used to be able to ask my HomePod minis questions like "Hey Siri, what's the humidity outside?", and it would tell me. Recently, all I've been getting is "I can't tell your location because of your settings". What settings might that be? I've turned every stone in Privacy and Security > Location as well as in the HomePod settings. I can't find anything amiss.

The HomePod minis are running 18.2, but this started earlier, perhaps around 18.0 or 18.1.

Is this broken for anyone else?

I am not seeing this issue but have you tried rebooting anything? Router? The HomePod? I’d start with removing it from power for 10 seconds first to see if that fixes anything. Then router then if all else fails, factory rest. People will swear it’s your network but I say these things are very finicky and need to be rebooted very often to work properly. Owning them is definitely a chore.

 

[dotnet]

Thanks for the reply. I tried all those things (including reset and reinstall). The HomePod has no trouble accessing the network, it will play stream music from Apple Music, for example.

I was hoping someone might know of an obscure privacy setting that would prevent the HomePod from determining its location.

PS: I just tried asking another HomePod in a different room about the weather outside, it also gave me the "can't tell your location" answer.

 

[dotme]

I was hoping someone might know of an obscure privacy setting that would prevent the HomePod from determining its location.

Couple things to check...

Home App - Three Dots Top Right - Home Settings - Location Services at the very bottom of the settings page should be enabled.

iOS Settings - Privacy & Security - Location Services - Home - While Using the App or Widgets should be enabled

iOS Settings - Privacy & Security - Location Services - System Services - HomeKit should be enabled

 

[dotnet]

Home App - Three Dots Top Right - Home Settings - Location Services at the very bottom of the settings page should be enabled.

That was it! Seems like I was too focused on the HomePod and iOS privacy settings...

Thank you, this was driving me crazy...

 

[Itinj24]

Oh wow, I thought this was the first obvious place to check lol and you said you checked everything so didn’t even bother to mention.

 

[dotnet]

Oh wow, I thought this was the first obvious place to check

Not for me. I've been using HomePods since long before HomeKit was useful and all those connected devices were a thing for me. I searched for a setting in areas that I usually go into, like HomePod config, iOS privacy settings, etc. I didn't even know there was a Location setting right at the bottom of Home settings, and I surely didn't turn it off. Yet, here I was, HomePods were suddenly without location information from one day to the next.

 

[Itinj24]

Not for me. I've been using HomePods since long before HomeKit was useful and all those connected devices were a thing for me. I searched for a setting in areas that I usually go into, like HomePod config, iOS privacy settings, etc. I didn't even know there was a Location setting right at the bottom of Home settings, and I surely didn't turn it off. Yet, here I was, HomePods were suddenly without location information from one day to the next.

In all fairness, this setting once lived in the actual HomePods’ settings and not in Home settings the way it is now. Also, for some odd reason, I have toggles in HomeKit constantly turning themselves off. Very frustrating. Voice Recognition and Personal Requests are the biggest offenders of this.